Heathcote
Type
Live
Use
Affordable housing
Year
2021-ongoing
Location
Heathcote, NSW
Client
Pacific Community Housing
Design Team
Frank Stanisic
Jason Nowosad
Seugnèt Viljoen
Collaborators
Sturt Noble Associates
Pacific Planning
Lesryck Environmental
Lyle Marshall Associates
Illustration
Stanisic Architects
The architectural concept for the project is freestanding building form within a landscaped setting of existing large trees and proposed rejuvenated biodiversity that is articulated as a series of modules that adjust the building bulk to the surrounding context and vegetation. The tailored massing creates a strong horizontal form along the north and south elevations compatible with smaller scale residential dwellings and villas and a stepped vertical form to Rosebery Street that is compatible with the neighbouring residential apartment building to the south and multi-dwelling housing to the north along Rosebery Street.
​
The site is identified as environmentally sensitive land - terrestrial biodiversity. The design response ensures that existing large trees on the site and street reservation are protected and primary communal open space has been located on a roof terrace with the ground plane used to rejuvenate ecological processes to support and enhance the ecosystem, including groundwater recharge with 100% native planting.
The proposed development is crafted, contemporary and connected. These three key ideas underpin the aesthetics. The rich, visual nature of the architecture comes to life with clear glazing, dark metallic frames, dry pressed brickwork and natural off-form concrete that contrasts with planting that circles the building to soften the facades.
​
The primary external material is brickwork which has been selected as it is the prevalent material within the existing streetscape and is appropriate to a landscaped setting.
Face brickwork provides flexibility that can provide fine grain detail and integrated patterning to the facades, including a plinth course on the side elevations, hit and miss coursing along the galleries and stacked bond to balconies introduce residential scaling.
The architectural character is compatible with the existing developments in the immediate context, but is clearly defined to give a variety of grain and character within this framework. Its limited palette of materials and simple form gives the building its own strength without attempting to compete with the existing context.